USB Hard Drive Write Protection

I have a 320GB WD Passport Essential External Hard Drive. I am paranoid about the security of my documents and other stuff on it. I've encrypted all my data on it with TrueCrypt. However, I do need to sometime share certain files with my friends. These are on an Un-encrpyted partition on the drive. The issue is even though my docs are encrypted some fool can eventually end up formating my encrypted partition. I want to know is it possible to write protect or at least hide my encrypted partition from my friends.
Thanks in Advance.

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I think the sandisk cruzer flash drive does not have a write protect switch. Please give more details about the product, model number etc. It could be possible that the "SanDisk SecureAccess software" provided with the flash drive could be protecting your drive. Open the associated application for findign out how to turn off write protection.For more details check http://www.sandisk.in/products/usb/drives/

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look up on the main WD site the model number of your drive and make sure you have the correct drivers installed. external drives need drivers too. also make sure your plug and play is accepting external drives.

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I will search further if you like, just let me know.Try the old, disconnect (the drive form the computer), reboot, reconnect, reboot once again and see if it picks up the way it was meant to.Hope this has been of help please leave ratingthank you.

Be warned, this is a low level format tool from them. What ever is on your flash drive will be erased.

I went exploring on these drives and found that when they start acting like they are write protected, it means that the drive corrupted. The low level format tool, will completely reformat that drive, and hopefully correct the problem.

They say it happens (usually) if you removed the drive from a computer, without using the safe eject USB function.

If this is a new flash drive, take it back to where you got it, and ask for a replacement.